


After Jedi

by sarcasticism



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Continuation, also i didn't know that grievous had a different name, but now i feel feelings and am sad, i can't believe palpatine's first name is sheev, like i knew he used to be a different race but i thought they just always called him grievous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 17:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10141661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasticism/pseuds/sarcasticism
Summary: What I think happened after Ahsoka left the Temple forever, but including her in Episode III when Anakin turns...





	1. Goodbye, Sky Guy

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before E.K. Johnston wrote her wonderful book, and it was just what I thought happened to her after she left the Order.

"They're asking you back, Ahsoka. I'm asking you back," said Anakin, holding out his hand, holding out Ahsoka's padawan braid. He was clearly waiting for her to take it from him. His eyes were filled with happiness, hope. He was smiling. Ahsoka guessed he was a lot happier about clearing her name than she was.

Ahsoka, along with Anakin and the rest of the Jedi Council,  were in the Temple room where they usually met. The late afternoon sun was shining through the giant windows. It gave the temple a golden glow, different from the usual soft brown. Many of the council members were there, but Master Plo was the only one who had actually apologized to her. Jedi Masters were stubborn to say the least.

It had been a difficult week. The Jedi Temple was bombed, but the perpetrator, Letta, revealed to Ahsoka that the real mastermind behind the bombing was a Jedi. But before she could say who, someone Force choked her to death. There was no audio on the security recording, and the only angle they had looked like Ahsoka had killed her.

She was immediately apprehended, but someone discretely slipped her cell's keycard into her field of vision. She was sure it was her master until she saw the dead clones. Everyone thought Ahsoka had killed them. So she ran. No matter what she said, she knew that they wouldn't believe her. They thought they couldn't trust her. Anakin tried to convince her to stay and plead the case, but she knew he was the only one who believed her. There was no way it would've turned out well. Ahsoka kept running.

Anakin and some clones, all of whom she fought beside with during this awful war, chased after her. Those she had trusted trusted were so quick to forget everything they'd been through together. She did get away though, and one might say that she and Ventress came to a sort of mutual agreement. They contacted Barris and who directed them to an abandoned warehouse, stating that proof of Ahsoka's innocence would be found there.

Someone with two red lightsabers attacked her there, and though she fought as hard as she could, the hidden figure was victorious. Ahsoka was certain that it was Ventress, since the figure fought with her lightsabers. She was pushed down to the lower floors, where she saw the  boxes of the tiny nano-droids. Before she could explain anything, though, she was stunned and apprehended by clones.

They took away her padawan braid. They put her on trial with the Council but it was clear that they had already decided her fate. They turned her over to Tarkin who did give her a chance to appeal, but no matter what, Ahsoka was to be put to death. Padmé worked on proving her innocence and she was Ahsoka's defendant in court. Things were looking bad, but then Anakin found the real culprit.

Turns out, she had been framed by Barriss, her best friend. They'd gone through so much together and Ahsoka was still in shock about what she did. They'd almost died together on Geonosis and Ahsoka had saved her, among others from the brain worms that got on their ship. They trained together, fought together, laughed together. It was amazing how all of these people, whom Ahsoka trusted with her life turned on her without a second thought.

And now, they had the audacity to invite her back? Like none of that happened?

Ahsoka closed Anakin's hands over her Padawan braid. The surprised expression quickly turned to hurt. Ahsoka forced herself to look into those sad blue eyes 

"I'm sorry master, but I'm not coming back," she said. She turned around and walked away. Quickly. Not looking back. Don't ever look back, that's what Anakin taught her. The past is the past.

"Ahsoka wait!" She heard in the distance. She knew who it was. She continued walking.

"Ahsoka, I need to talk to you!" he called again, but his voice was closer. She stopped and let him catch up. They were outside the temple as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but given the circumstances, Ahsoka couldn't appreciate it the way she used to. She turned to face him.

"Why, are you doing this?" He asked.

"The Council didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?"

"What about me?" He was being defensive again. "I believed in you, I stood by you!"

"I know you believe in me Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer. Not now."

"The Jedi Order is your life. You can't just throw it away like this." She knew he was right. She'd been there since she was a toddler. It was all Ahsoka had ever known, and she never thought she'd want to leave. But she knew what she had to do.

"Ahsoka, you are making a mistake." Anakin's voice was breaking.

"Maybe...but I have to sort this out on my own. Without the Council... and without you." Tears were filling her eyes. As she looked at him, she noticed that she wasn't the only one. Ahsoka turned around and continued walking away.

"I understand. More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the order." You didn't have to be a Jedi to sense the resentment in his voice.

"I know," Ahsoka said. She could feel his eyes on her as she descended the steps of the Jedi Temple. She looked back, but had already walked down too far. _This was the right thing to do_ , she told herself, _even if it hurt Anakin_.  She would miss him more than anything.

Ahsoka left with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. Her first lightsaber had been taken from her and she had lost the other one while she ran away from her former comrades. She didn't have any other possessions. Anakin could keep her silka beads and the Jedi could do what they pleased with her room.

Ahsoka didn't even know where she was going. Tears had been falling from her eyes ever since she'd said goodbye to Anakin. She didn't care where she went, all she knew was that she needed to get away from there.

Ahsoka finally came back to her senses when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whipped around, almost certain that it was Anakin. But it wasn't.

"Ventress. I got your name cleared, if that's what you're here for."

Her face was filled with surprise. "Shouldn't you be attending to your Jedi duties?"

I took a deep breath and avoided her crystal blue gaze.

"You left." Ahsoka guessed their connection was strong enough for her to sense it. Or maybe her sadness was easy to see.

She nodded. "I can't stay there anymore. I don't know for sure what's going to happen now, but they couldn't trust me, so I don't think I can trust them."

"A wise decision," said Ventress. "I can sense Skywalker's anguish from here you know."

"I can too. Something is going to happen soon, something bad. He is blinded by emotion. This wouldn't matter if he knew how powerful he was. I really hope his mind clears before he does something he'll regret."

"So, what are you going to do now?" She asked.

Ahsoka sighed. "I guess I need to leave. Any suggestions?"

"I'm actually taking off myself. Would you care to join me?" Well. Who could've predicted that?

Master Yoda, probably.

"It would be my pleasure."


	2. A New Beginning

"Come on, then." Ventress and Ahsoka set off, side by side.

The underbelly of Courscant had never been pretty. The temple was luxury compared to it. The Jedi didn't have much, as was her, _their_ , lifestyle. Most associated with them were quite rich though, and they used their money for lavish things.

Where they were walking was very different. It was dirty and garbage was floating in the wind. If the buildings had ever been colorful, centuries of grime had turned everywhere dark. The buildings were tall and cast huge shadows, giving Ahsoka even more reasons to feel unsafe. It didn't smell too great either, but she was going to have to get used to that. The Temple could never be her home again.

Neither Sith nor Jedi, neither Republic nor Separatist. Those were always the only paths she'd ever seen for herself. Ventress had walked this line for a while now. Ahsoka hoped Ventress would help her do the same.

"So, how's the bounty hunting business treating you?" Ahsoka asked to break the silence. She knew she didn't have to. In fact, she usually enjoyed silence. But she had to get her brain to stop replaying what she'd just done. It was not the time to grieve. It wasn't safe anywhere outside the Temple for lightsaber-wielders like her.

"Pretty well. You'd be surprised how easily people are fooled. It's kind funny, actually. I can't tell you how many times I've taken the money then been off-world before they realize I scammed them." Ventress gave a small laugh.

Ahsoka didn't find it very funny. But then again, at that time, she wouldn't have found anything funny.

"Hey, do you remember that time you freed Nute Gunray and we fought? And then I chased after you and-" she started.

"-and the bomb went off? Yes, Ahsoka, I remember. Good times." They smiled at each other.

Ventress frowned.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asked.

"Have you ever thought about... being a bounty hunter?" She said carefully.

"No, but I don't think I could kill for a living."

"It's not always that. And besides, it's not much different from what you did with the council, right?"

"What?!" Ahsoka exclaimed, preparing to defend her views.

"Sure, you didn't kill them yourselves. More inadvertently. The Jedi may not have started this war, but they took part in it all the same. Everywhere you went, the war followed."

Ahsoka looked at the ground. It was dirty, littered with flyers that had long since been forgotten. Stray animals were scavenging in them.

"You don't have to agree with me. I know I'm right." She was, but Ahsoka wasn't ready to admit it yet.

After a few unbearable moments of silence, she said,

"Do you really think I could be a bounty hunter?"

"Sure," Ventress replied. "You've got the skills, no money, and nowhere else to go. Why not?"

"Hm. I guess I don't really have a choice. Still though, I can't just kill someone because I'll get paid."

"Tell you what: how about you and I become partners?"

Ahsoka raised her eyebrow at Ventress.

"I'm serious! We would work so well together. If there's ever any need to kill, I'll do it, and you and I will do everything else together." Her bright eyes betrayed how much she wanted Ahsoka to say agree. She must have been alone for quite some time.

"Sounds good," I said.

"Really?" Ventress asked, surprised.

"If you're the one who's gonna be doing the worst part, if needed, then yes."

They were approaching the docks. Ahsoka had never been to this part of the city. Her eyes widened, trying to take everything in. This was a difficult task as the room they entered was gigantic. It had to be for its function, but it amazed Ahsoka nonetheless.

"Great! My ship is in dock 17." She led me there. It was a big ship and, from a glance, Ahsoka could tell that it had a powerful hyperdrive. It was rectangular for the most part and it probably had some real nice guns hidden somewhere. Of course, it was nowhere near a Republic cruiser, but those were warships that carried thousands of people. Ahsoka thought of the cruiser she and Anakin had always been on, _The Resolute_. She smiled a bit, remembering all the fun times they had.

Ahsoka shook her head to snap herself out of it. She was sure Ventress noticed, but was polite enough not to mention it. They walked onto the ship.

The interior was quaint, home-y, almost. _This is home for Ventress_ , Ahsoka thought. There were couches, a radio, books, a kitchen, even a holo-pad for some kind of strategy games.

As they walked into the cockpit, Ventress spoke.

"Now, first things first, weapons. You got any?" She looked at my belt and saw my lack of lightsabers. "All right, so weapons are our top priority. Any good bounty hunter needs a good weapon. Sure, our hand-to-hand combat skills are better than those we fight against, but we prefer to do things in a cleaner way."

Ventress sat down in the captain's chair. Ahsoka sat shotgun. It was surprisingly comfortable. Her eyes started to close.

"Do you remember where to find the crystals?" She asked me. Ahsoka jerked up. She was more tired than she'd thought. Ventress' eyes widened.

"Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no it's all right... There's lots of places," she  said, remembering the mission with the Jedi younglings and their adventures with the Pirates. She smiled a little more.

"Anywhere in this sector?"

She shook her head. "I can take you one place though. Illum."

"That ice ball?" Ventress exclaimed.

"Well? You made your lightsabers somewhere strange too. I don't see why this would surprise you."

"I guess I just didn't know more existed."

"They're kept secret. I don't even remember the planet where I got my crystals. So much has happened since..." Ahsoka trailed off.

"Illum it is."


	3. Memories of the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just really like juxtaposing titles in general.

Ventress inputed the coordinates as they left the planet's atmosphere. She pulled the lever and the jump to hyperspace created the illusion that the starts were being pulled toward us. It always amazed Ahsoka, no matter how many times she saw it.

But it was going to be a long ride, even at light speed. _Maybe taking a nap would be good for me_ , Ahsoka thought. She was tired, and even though she knew she'd have awful dreams, sleep was an unfortunate necessity.

"Is there a place in the back where I can rest for a bit?" she asked Ventress.

"Yeah, you'll know it when you see it. I'll wake you up when we get to Illum if you're still asleep by then," she responded, not looking back at her. Ahsoka could understand that. Hyperspace's images were quite mesmerizing.

Ahsoka walked past the living-room-styled area into a hallway. The first door she opened had a cot in it, on which she crashed immediately. She didn't even think about looking for covers. She was asleep as soon as her head it the pillow.

_You'd never make it as Obi-Wan's Padawan. But you might make it as mine._

Ahsoka was back on Christophsis, being comforted by Anakin after their first time fighting together. They smiled at each other and then he got up to board a small ship. Before Ahsoka could follow, the vision faded away, replaced with one of her and  Anakin during the last time Ahsoka would ever see him.

Ahsoka was outside her body, watching herself walk away. She looked at Anakin and his tear-stained face. She called out to him but he showed no indication that he'd heard her. All Ahsoka could do was watch as his pain consumed him, and then—

She was pulled into his memories. Ahsoka saw him as a little boy on Tatooine with his mother, saw how terribly they were treated as slaves. She saw him with a young Obi-Wan, Padmé, and another Jedi she didn't recognize. Anakin was saying goodbye to his mother.

_You can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting._

Ahsoka heard Anakin screaming as his mother died in his arms. She heard the cries of the Tusken Raiders he massacred. She felt his pain, his abandonment. She saw the nightmares he had about losing Padmé.

_You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!_

She saw Anakin, but older. His hair was longer, his face was wiser, his eyes... His eyes were yellow.

_I HATE YOU!_

Then all Ahsoka could see was fire. Fire was consuming her clothes, her body, the ground, the world. The pain was unimaginable.

Ahsoka screamed and sat up. She was panting. Ventress had just walked in. If she'd heard anything, she thankfully didn't bring it up.

"I was just coming to wake you," she said. She appeared nonchalant but Ahsoka knew better. She very badly wanted to ask about the dream, but there would be a time and place for that. Ahsoka hoped that's what she was thinking too.

"Why? Did something happen?" Ahsoka asked, desperately trying to forget about her dream.

"We're out of hyperspace."

"How long was I out?" she asked as she stood up.

"A few hours. We've reached Illum."


	4. Never Alone

Ventress found a cloak to provide Ahsoka some protection from the cold, and while it didn't help very much, it was all she had. She and Ventress braced themselves as they left the warmth of her ship, which she called the _Sunset_. It made metaphorical sense, given that the sun had set on Ahsoka's time with the Jedi Order, and dawn would shine light on a new one. Where Ahsoka was at that moment would have been twilight, the uncertainty between night and day. No dawn would come until she figured out how to get through the middle, and possibly most difficult, stage. Ahsoka put her full faith in the Force. She had to trust it to guide her.

Ahsoka  tried to find the path that led to the Temple but she only ended up getting lost. She was so determined to deny the visions she'd seen in her dream that her head was pounding. Ahsoka knew she would never find the temple in that state of mind, so she plopped down on the snow, crossed her legs, and did her best to cleared her head. Ahsoka indicted for Ventress to do the same. As the two former Jedi willed the sacred place to appear to us, loud noises came from inside the planet's crust. Ahsoka knew it was the temple opening, but she kept her focus until the sound stopped. When she opened her eyes, the temple was there, and she and Ventress walked inside.

It was good shelter from the wind, but didn't entirely block out the cold. Thankfully, though, there was some sunlight, which was a very welcome warmth. The cave where she was to acquire her new crystal was almost fully open. There was only a little more ice that had to be melted in order for Ahsoka to enter. Time was passing much too quickly, and Ahsoka didn't think she was ready for such a big step. It took a lot of determination for her to convince her racing mind that this was what she had to do. She started walking into the cave.

"Good to see you," Ahsoka said to Ventress as she passed her. 

"You act like it's the last time!" She exclaimed. She sounded worried, but Ahsoka continued forward.

"When I return, I will have changed. These journeys are often very eye-opening for those who complete them. It was, and will be, for me as well," Ahsoka informed her. 

Ahsoka was facing towards the opening but she knew Ventress had heard her. She didn't look back as she entered.

The caves were beautiful, to say the least. The ice made everything look like crystals, but Ahsoka knew hers would be obvious when she was ready. She'd said everything to Ventress in such a matter-of-fact way, but in reality, Ahsoka wasn't as confident as she acted. She was uncertain about what kind of journey this would be for her. She would have to face the worst parts of herself: the guilt, the visions, the decisions. Ahsoka took a deep breath and continued forward. 

Ahsoka never would've thought something as simple as frozen water to be so magnificent. The thick ice made everything seem blue, which was oddly comforting to her. Getting lost in the beauty cleared her mind, and she could clearly sense which way to go at intersections. 

Ahsoka continued forward until she saw a blue light, brighter than the reflections the ice around her gave off. Instinctively, she halted, but the light came towards her. Ahsoka approached it and allowed it to surround her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she was in an even older Jedi temple. The walls were glowing with an ethereal light. Ahsoka knelt down in the middle of the room to meditate, but then she sensed a presence behind her. Without turning around and losing focus, Ahsoka saw the figure in her mind: black clothes, red lightsaber, black helmet. He looked like a machine, but Ahsoka knew he had been a person at some point. He spoke to me in Ahsoka's mind, and it was a voice she knew. A voice she'd known for a long time, and one that she would never forget.

_Ahsoka. Why did you leave?_

It was Anakin...or someone who used to be Anakin at least. Ahsoka frowned, trying hard to keep my focus. She shook her head a little, as if trying to get his voice out.

_Did you know...what I have become?_

"NO!" Ahsoka screamed. Her eyes snapped open and she reached for her lightsabers –

But they weren't there. Neither was Anakin, or whatever that _thing_ was. Ahsoka looked around; she was alone. It was as if the vision had never happened. The cave was exactly the same as it had been since Ahsoka last saw it: cold, filled with various crystals, none of which called out to her.

That vision of Anakin as a machine was nagging at her. It must have been in the future, because she would have known if Anakin needed to become some sort of cyborg  in order to survive. Ahsoka convinced herself it had just been an illusion, and she stopped worrying about it. She recollected herself and proceeded onwards. Ahsoka kept walking until she came to an intersection. Her intuition told her to continue forward, so she did, and then stopped dead in her tracks. Some sort of vision was unfolding, right in front of her.

Ahsoka saw the Republic cruisers, gliding through the cosmos – but she knew they weren't what they once had been. These belonged to a new order, a new empire. She could sense the evil from within, a deep-seated anger that seemed somewhat familiar. Ahsoka saw a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy piloting an X-Wing. She saw him wielding a green lightsaber, training with Master Yoda. He reminded her of Anakin, but without all the suppressed emotions.

_We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always._

It was Obi-Wan's voice. It was comforting. Ahsoka knew the Force would guide her in this new journey, and even though it was unclear in Ahsoka's mind, her destiny was already set in stone. 

What Barriss had said at the appeal had made too much sense to her, especially after everything that had happened. Ventress had only given Ahsoka more inclination to believe her. This was her path, and as unsure as it was, Ahsoka felt better now than taking part in the violence of the war. She couldn't remember the last time she relaxed, but in that cave it felt easy to do so. Ahsoka closed her eyes.

 _There is_ another _Skywalker_.

It was Master Yoda. His voice was very weak, and she could sense his life force fading.

 _A new hope will emerge_.

Ahsoka opened her eyes to find her crystal floating in front of her, slowly rotating in the Force. I let it fall into the palm of my hand, where it proceeded to separate into two pieces, one slightly smaller than the other. Ahsoka walked back the way she came. These crystals, soon to be lightsabers, marked a new beginning for Ahsoka, and soon, for the galaxy.


	5. Twilight

Ahsoka walked out of the caves, ducking under the ice at the entrance. She was holding her crystals in tightly in her closed palm, viewing the image of her new lightsabers in her mind. Ahsoka's new crystals were a faded white, which was strange since Illum usually only produced green and blue crystals. In her studies at the temple, Ahsoka had learned that those who have white lightsabers are loyal to themselves, to their own cause. She'd never really thought about it too hard, but it made a lot of sense in her situation. Filled with a newfound hope, Ahsoka walked out of the cave confidently, with a soft smile on her face.

Ventress looked relieved, but she quickly hid it and said, "Come on."

Ahsoka followed her back to the ship and went to the lounge area to sit on the floor. Sitting up straight, with her legs crossed, Ahsoka envisioned the way her lightsabers would look. Silver, long, curved hilts: one regular-sized, one smaller, like the shoto she'd lost. She felt the rumble of the ship as the engine turned on. Everything jolted a bit as Ventress took off. Ahsoka stood up and made her way into the cockpit. She took one last look at Illum, allowing herself to fall into her memories. She smiled as she recalled the younglings she'd supervised as they'd made their lightsabers. It was hard to imagine so much peace could exist in this wartime.

Ahsoka lowered her gaze, remembering that those younglings would have to fight in the war as well. She took a deep breath, hoping that the Force had a path for them as well. She didn't want anyone to have to be forced into a war zone at such a young age the way she was. Ahsoka resolved to work behind the scenes to end the violence. Bounty hunters actually played quite a big part in both the Republic and Separatist senates. With this idea firmly set in mind, Ahsoka sat down next to Ventress and opened her mouth to speak.

"So, I was thinking."

"That's never a good thing." Ahsoka shot an annoyed glance at her and continued,

"You said it yourself, there's violence on both sides."

"Yeah, so what?"

"So what if we work behind the scenes to try and stop it?"

Ventress frowned. "I don't know, Ahsoka. You've seen how much violence there is. Do you really think two bounty hunters like us could stop it?"

"No, no, I know we can't, but I was just thinking that maybe we could just try and help in small ways, you know?"

"Alright, just remember: we don't work for free."

"I'll keep that in mind." Being a former Jedi, Ahsoka had never had much anyways, and that boded well for her in this situation. What little money she could make would be used to buy the bare necessities _only_.

"Do you keep any scraps of metal? Stuff you don't use but that's still useful?" Ahsoka asked, thinking about her lightsabers.

"Yeah, check the drawers in the rooms. Any of the rooms. I pick up a lot of random items."

"Thanks."

Ventress, having been a bounty hunter for a while, had some contacts she got in touch with as Ahsoka looked through the different drawers, taking anything that looked remotely useful. Once she'd collected everything, she took out one of the drawers not in use and put everything in it. Ahsoka returned to the lounge and sat in front of the table next to the couch. She dumped the drawer out and scattered the pieces around her. Ahsoka felt like they needed to be in a circle around her, in order to cut her off from the rest of the world.

Ahsoka closed her eyes and let the Force flow through her. The floating sensation was still hard to get used to. She pictured her lightsaber in her mind again, and focused on it as her arms moved with the pieces coming together. Ahsoka opened her eyes and took one of the crystals out of her pocket. All of the scraps floating in front of her looked ready to join with one another. Ahsoka added her crystal into the pile and watched as the pieces assembled before her. It was giving off a white glow, and Ventress later remarked that Ahsoka was as well.

Ahsoka's newly-crafted lightsaber floated towards her. She reached out and admired how it fit  in her hand. The curved hilt felt more precise than anything she'd ever handled. It was smooth and beautiful. Ahsoka ignited the blade and waved it around a bit. Thankfully, it didn't explode like the her first few attempts had.

One was done, and Ahsoka was tired. She remembered how excited she'd was when she made her first lightsaber. She had been  ready to take on the galaxy, but now, it didn't feel that special. Ahsoka sighed, remembering that she had to make the second one as well. She remained still and silent as she concentrated on creating the second 

Ahsoka heard the _whoosh_ as all the pieces of her next lightsaber swirled around her. Keeping her eyes closed, Ahsoka added the second crystal and listened to the clicking sounds as everything came together.

When she opened her eyes, it was floating before her, an ethereal white light glowing around it. Ahsoka added it to her belt with her other lightsaber. It was curved as well, but smaller, like the her old shoto. The white light faded away and suddenly, Ahsoka felt all the heaviness return to her eyes. She knew she wouldn't make it to a room, so she curled up on the couch and slipped into dreams.

_I won't leave you! Not this time._

It was the machine from her earlier visions. Ahsoka was standing before him, and part of his helmet had been slashed off. He had one yellow eye, the prominent symbol of having fully turned to the dark side. He was filled with pain and hatred. Tears streamed down Ahsoka's face but she didn't know why. He ignited his red lightsaber.

_Then you will die!_


	6. A Day on the Job

Ahsoka awoke drenched in cold sweat. The dreams kept getting worse and worse, and she was beginning to dread sleep. _I'll sleep when I'm dead_ , she decided.

Ventress walked out of the cockpit as Ahsoka stood up.

"We're coming out of hyperspace," Ventress informed her.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"I had to put a few job offers on hold while we were on Illum but now that that's done, we can do them!"

"Huh? That fast?"

"What can I say? I'm in demand. No one knows about you yet, but they'll know that you'd have to be good to work with me."

"Uh, thanks, I guess? What are we doing on the job?"

"Just some smuggling, no big deal."

"Wait, what? That's kind of against my morals?"

"Don't worry, it's not illegal substances, it's just that customs take so long and this will be faster. Also, we're offered a lot of money."

"Fine, but -"

"No questions," Ventress cut me off. "They don't like that."

Ahsoka sighed in exasperation. "Where are we?"

"Rori. They'll send out a shuttle to transfer the cargo."

They were already in orbit, as was another ship, presumably the one they were dealing with.

Ahsoka opened a comm channel.

"Rori, this is _Effervescent_ , is the package ready for pick up?" Ventress said into the speaker.

" _Effervescent_?" Ahsoka mouthed.

"I'm not going to give them the ship's real name. What kind of bounty hunter do you think I am?" Ventress whispered.

"We read you. Sending the shuttle out now," a deep voice responded. Whoever was on the other line had distorted their voice to mask their identity. Ahsoka decided to remember that trick, in case she needed it later.

" _Effervescent_ , this is R-Shuttle, permission to dock?"

"Granted," Ventress said. She pushed a few buttons and the walkway extended out to the shuttle doors. Ahsoka waited by the airlock while the pressure and gravity equalized.

A man wearing a gray clothes and a helmet entered the ship, pushing a few crates. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants that covered his shoes. He walked on board without a word, let go of the crates, and walked back out.

"Ooookay," Ahsoka said awkwardly. "Is it always like this?"

"Sometimes," Ventress said. "You get used to weird stuff. Probably best to not question too much. They take that out of your pay."

"Oh. Okay." Ahsoka walked over to examine the crates. "Hey," she said to Ventress, picking up a note from on top of the crates, "check this out." 

It was written in some sort of code that Ahsoka didn't understand. She assumed it was a bounty hunter thing, and she was correct.

Ventress read the paper, eyes widening as she did so.

"Coruscant," Ventress whispered.

"What?! Can I even go back there?"

"I mean, of course. You have free will, after all. And don't worry, we aren't delivering anything to the Temple. Work like this is dealt with in the sketchiest parts of Courscant. I doubt you'll find any Jedi there. We'll need to split up for this since there are different meeting places for each crate, and we have two."

Ahsoka sighed. "Setting course for Coruscant."

"Jump to hyperspace in 3...2...1..." Ahsoka pulled the lightspeed lever and got lost in the lights.


	7. Stowaway

Courscant really was a beautiful planet. If you were rich, that is. Jedi weren't rich, but the Republic senate was. While Ahsoka hadn't lived in luxury, she'd seen Padmé's apartment and it was almost twelve times bigger than her little room in the Temple.

She and Ventress were nowhere near rich, and after being on the run for so long, they'd gotten used to seeing Courscant's ugly underbelly. They landed in Ventress' little docking bay, only a week after they'd left.

They walked out of the _Sunset_ , pushing one crate each.

"Hey, should we link our comms?" Ahsoka asked as they walked towards the door. Ventress stopped for a moment to fiddle with hers.

"Good idea. Just give me a second...there. Now we can keep in contact in case anything goes wrong. I'll transmit the coordinates of your meeting place."

"Alright. I'll meet you at the rendezvous point." Ahsoka and Ventress walked out the door and went their separate ways.

Every window was either one-way or too dirty to see through. The alleyways were shadowy and narrow, giving off the illusion that everything was bigger than it really was. The sound of all the nightclub music reminded Ahsoka of the late hour. She quickened her pace, not wanting to get caught in the crowd of drunks that would soon flood out.

After another fifteen minutes, Ahsoka turned into a secluded, dead-end alleyway where her contact was waiting. He, too, was wearing all grey, and his hat covered most of his face. Ahsoka sensed his gaze on her lightsabers.

"Jedi?" he asked in a rough voice.

"No," she responded, defiantly meeting his gaze.

"Then where'd you get those?" He pointed to her lightsabers.

"Stole them. After their original owner... _lost_  them." She hoped he would understand the implications of her words. Besides, there was no way he would deal with her if he knew her background.

He backed off. Ahsoka showed him the crate and he showed her the credits. It was a considerable amount and Ahsoka didn't think that whatever was in the crate was worth it, but she forced herself to hold her questioning tongue.

A few minutes later, Ahsoka walked out holding a briefcase. Once she was out of sight, Ahsoka held the circular button on her comm link and spoke.

"Ventress?"

"Ahsoka. Off without a hitch, huh?"

"Yup. Meet you at the rendezvous point?"

"See you there."

Ahsoka walked back to the hangar and waited in the shadows for Ventress, stashing her briefcase somewhere she knew Ventress would find it.

Her comm beeped. The loud noise made Ahsoka jump after being so quiet for so long. She opened the channel.

"Ahsoka, change of plans." Ventress' voice spoke quickly from the other side.

"Uh, okay. To what?" Ahsoka heard her deflecting blaster shots with lightsabers.

"I'm being chased by some clones. I'm guessing they don't exactly appreciate what we're doing here. I can hold them off long enough to get away, but you can't come with me."

"What? Why not?"

"If they see you, do you think they won't report it? Skywalker would come running and I don't think that's a good idea."

"Okay, you're right. What should I do?"

"Stow away on a ship. You can still hide in the vents right?"

"I think so."

"Good, there's one in Bay 7. Figure out how to get yourself on board. I don't have much time, the clones will find me again soon. Good luck."

"You too." Ahsoka broke the connection.

Since she was already in the hangar bay, it didn't take too long to find Bay 7. It was a fairly large ship, probably made for deep space travel. It was pitch black and kind of reminded her of that ship General Grievous once had, the _Malevolence_. Ahsoka shook that thought out of her mind. The _Malevolence_ had been destroyed years ago, she was just being paranoid.

She crouched down behind some cargo being loaded and then ran quickly to the side of the ship. Ahsoka managed to crawl under and ran her hands along the smooth surface, searching for the hinge to the engine room. It took some prying, but she got it open and quietly pulled herself into the red-lit room.

Ahsoka climbed the ladder out of the engine room and immediately started scanning the ceiling for any vent grates. She was in a secluded corridor adjacent to a large, brightly-lit hallway. It looked deserted, so she took her chances and opened the first grate she saw. Ahsoka carefully pulled myself into the vents and closed the grate behind her.

She knew Ventress wouldn't be in orbit yet but Ahsoka was too restless to just sit still and wait. She crawled around the vents until she had an idea how to navigate the ship. Once she found the main door, Ahsoka  stopped and sat with her legs crossed. She waited by the door see who's ship she was on.

Ahsoka shied away from the light as droids filed into the corridor. They were Separatist droids, which made her wonder what exactly this ship was doing here. The Separatists wouldn't dare enter Republic space, would they?

Her question was soon answered when the doors opened and a weirdly shaped droid was running towards the ramp. It was carrying someone across its shoulders. Ahsoka gasped as she realized it was General Grievous. She recognized his bizarre legs and incredible amount of arms ( _I mean, who needs that many arms?_ ). His metal footsteps clanged on the ground as he ran and Ahsoka realized who he was carrying: Chancellor Palpatine. And if Palpatine was there, then Anakin wouldn't be far behind. He and Obi-Wan were running after Grievous with their blue lightsabers drawn. He had some clones with him but their shots just ricocheted off of Grievious' armor.

Once Grievous was on the ship, the door closed, and the General started ordering his droids.

"What are you doing?" he asked in his unnatural voice. "Get us out of here!"

"Yes, sir," the droids' metallic voices responded.

The droids dispersed and Grievous walked off, presumably to put Palpatine in a cell. Ahsoka followed them as quietly as she could.

But he didn't even take the Chancellor to the detention level. He tied Palpatine to a chair on the bridge. Thankfully, the Chancellor was still out cold. Ahsoka silently slid away from the room and tried to contact Ventress.

"Hey. Just got away, but I'm still in orbit. There's another ship up here too, a big Separatist one."

"Yeah, I know, it's Grievous' ship and I'm on it."

"Oh _no_."

"They were on Coruscant to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. The Republic will be up here soon, along with Anakin. Stay out of scanning range from the ship but don't leave the system. There's going to be a battle and in the midst of it, you can dock unnoticed and get me out of here. Got it?"

"Yes. Stay out of sight."

"I will. Ahsoka out."


	8. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the vague titles? Me too!

 

  
Grievous' ship didn't leave for hyperspace as she'd presumed it would. They didn't even try to leave orbit. It was almost as if they were waiting for someone. It really did seem strange, but instead of questioning everything, Ahsoka decided to just be grateful that she still. It's almost impossible to track anyone through hyperspace, so if Grievous changed his mind, I would be completely screwed.

Ahsoka hadn't moved from her spot in the vents on the bridge, and thankfully hadn't been noticed either. The Chancellor awoke after a few minutes in orbit. When he saw Grievous, he smiled. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. He was speaking to the General is if they _knew_ each other.

 _That can't be right, can it?_  Ahsoka  thought.

"I applaud you, General," Palpatine said. "Everything is going according to plan. Has Dooku arrived yet?"

"He is en route, my lord," the droid said with a bow.

_Dooku? What is going on?_

"Good, good," replied the Chancellor, dragging out the last word.

It wasn't long before Dooku arrived. He stood by in front of the Chancellor and bowed.

"What is thy bidding, Lord Sidious?"

_Sidious...could it be...Darth Sidious?_

Ahsoka almost choked holding down a gasp as she realized that the most powerful Sith Lord had infiltrated not only the Republic Senate, but the Jedi Order as well. And...

_Anakin - I have to warn him!_

Ahsoka was so shocked that she froze in place until everything around her shook. She assumed that the battle had just started. Ahsoka stayed put, knowing that when Anakin and Obi-Wan got on board, it wouldn't be long before Ventress found a way in as well.

She had a clear view through the window at the front of the bridge. The Republic had sent three cruisers, and Grievous called up no reinforcements. The Chancellor - no, Sidious - had planned this whole thing. Ahsoka had always sensed that there was something off about him but was never quite able to pinpoint what.

Ahsoka heard on the droids comms that two Jedi had arrived in the hangar bay. Well, not arrived. Crashed. That sure sounded like Anakin to her. She took off, crawling as fast as she could while trying to avoid notice. She watched Anakin and Obi-Wan fight off the droids and walk towards an elevator. Ahsoka considered dropping out of her hiding spot and warning them, begging them not to trust the Chancellor.

_No, I can't let them see me. I'll find some other way._

Ahsoka followed them up through the vents. Her muscles were feeling a little sore from all the crouching. _Soon_ , she realized, _I wouldn't be able to fit in the vents anymore._

Once on the bridge, the two Jedi were confronted by Dooku. All too easily, Obi-Wan was thrown across the room, leaving only Anakin and Dooku to duel. It wasn't long before Anakin cut off Dooku's arms and took his lightsaber. He formed an X with the two swords around Dooku's head. Dooku was completely at Anakin's mercy, but Anakin hesitated before striking the final blow. The Jedi way was to take him prisoner and hand him over to the Council. Anakin knew that better that anyone.

"Do it," Sidious said. He was...smiling. Dooku looked at his master in horror right before...Ahsoka closed her eyes, not wanting to see Anakin do something so horrible. Even so, it was hard to ignore the thud of Dooku's head hitting the floor. Obi-Wan had gotten up and Anakin was untying Palpatine. They were saying things my brain wasn't registering. Ahsoka was so shocked that she fell into a trance, only to be awoken by Ventress on the comm.

"Ahsoka, I've found your exit. Come to the hangar bay."

Ahsoka didn't respond, her gaze fixed on Anakin.

"Ahsoka! The whole ship is going down, you have to move, _now_!"

"I'm on my way."

 


	9. Running

 

  
Ahsoka crawled back the way Anakin and Obi-Wan came, and once she was in a hallway, she dropped down out of the vent. She ran down the corridor, which was surprisingly clear save for the droids littering the floors. Anakin's doing, she presumed. Ahsoka followed his trail of dead droids to the docking bay and found the _Sunset_ waiting for her. Ventress opened the hatch and Ahsoka sprinted up the ramp. Ventress was already leaving the bay by the time Ahsoka reached the cockpit. She pulled some impressive maneuvers to avoid the debris and as soon as they reached some empty space, Ventress jumped them to hyperspace.

Ahsoka leaned back and breathed out, unaware of the breath she'd been holding.

"Are you okay?" Ventress asked.

"Not really," Ahsoka responded with a sigh.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Anakin...he was on that ship...I watched him murder Count Dooku, after he'd surrendered! He was at Anakin's mercy and Anakin _killed_ him!"

Wide-eyed, Ventress said nothing.

"And, the Chancellor is a Sith Lord. Darth Sideous," she added quietly.

"I knew him...I never knew he'd infiltrated that far. Ahsoka, we can't go back to Courscant. Not yet, anyway. I have a few job offers, and that's where we're headed to now."

Ahsoka didn't react and she continued. "It's an assassination, so you'll be staying with the ship. Be ready to make a quick escape if we need to."

"Okay."

A short while later, Ventress landed the ship on some planet Ahsoka hadn't bothered to learn the name of. She meditated, but to no avail. Something was clouded, either the Force or her mind, but Ahsoka figured it was both. She didn't really know what to do so she tried sleeping until the nightmares woke her up. She ended up sitting in the pilot's seat and reading Ventress' mission dossiers. She had a whole schedule worked out, with lots of missions ahead. Deliveries, diversions, thievery...every Jedi instinct Ahsoka  had told her to get out, that it was immoral and against the Jedi code. She had to remind herself over and over again that she wasn't a Jedi anymore. One might consider Ahsoka's downtime a good time for relaxing, but being left to her own thoughts really wasn't a good thing. Solitude was something Jedi were forced to face, and she didn't always mind it, but then...Ahsoka had never felt so alone.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka!" Ventress snapped Ahsoka out of her trance.

"Wha?" she said softly.

"Ahsoka, we gotta go! Get this ship moving!"

She could hear gunfire and both of Ventress' lightsabers were drawn. She was breathing hard and had probably been running for a while.

"On it!" Ahsoka turned on the engine and shut the hangar door as they made for the sky. Once out of the planet's gravity, Ahsoka made the jump, hoping that their pursuers would be dissuaded. Ahsoka knew they couldn't be tracked through hyperspace, she just hoped that this wouldn't affect any of their future endeavors.

"Did you do it?" Ahsoka asked her.

"Of course! Here," she said as she dropped a decent amount of credits into her lap.

"Wow, I never thought I'd be able to make a living off of this. I should have left the Jedi sooner!"

"You don't mean that. Besides, no way would I have let you join me back then."

Ahsoka smiled. "So, where to next?"

 


	10. Massacre

The next few months were quite uneventful for Ventress and Ahsoka. They smuggled, didn't ask questions, and got paid. Ahsoka lived most of her life on _The Sunset_ , even when they returned to Coruscant for supply runs. Ventress had a small apartment she offered up, but Ahsoka declined, preferring to live somewhat nomadically. One such supply run, while waiting for Ventress to return, their tablet beeped, showing an assassination request. Ahsoka accepted and added it to their calendar. Ventress let her organize their schedule while she was away.

Ahsoka heard the cockpit door open.

"We've got another assassination," Ahsoka said without turning around. 

"Where?" she inquired.

"Felucia."

"Isn't that a Republic planet?"

"For now. The blockade is probably still there as well."

"So how are we supposed to get past?"

"I might be able to use some Jedi codes that would allow us to go through, no questions asked." Ahsoka sighed, thinking about how much of an abuse of power this was.

Ventress must have sensed her doubt because she put her hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and said, "Ahsoka, you're not a Jedi anymore. You don't need to follow their rules or their code."

Ahsoka nodded.

"When should we be there?" Ventress asked, trying to change the subject.

"We should be on the surface by the next rotation. I'll let you see the details of the target and exact locations. I prefer not to take part in these things."

"Set course for Felucia, then."

Ahsoka guided the ship out of Courscant's atmosphere and made the jump to hyperspace.  Ahsoka turned the autopilot on and joined Ventress in the living room area, sitting across the table from her.

"Sabaac?" she asked, moving to turn on the holo-board.

"No thanks." Ventress put her hand to her side and leaned back. Ahsoka released the tension she'd been holding in her shoulders and slumped back into the couch. It felt amazing to finally relax. Ahsoka and Ventress had been there a few minutes, just resting, when they both sat up very straight and met each other's eyes.  The former Jedi both felt the chill that seemed to enter the room and Ahsoka shuddered. The Force felt different, darker, almost painful.

"What is that?" she asked Ventress. Her eyes were just as wide as Ahsoka's.

"I don't know...something is very wrong."

"It's everywhere...what's going on?" Ahsoka shivered again.

"We need to finish the job, Ahsoka," Ventress said shakily.

Ahsoka  took a deep breath. "Okay, let's just do it and get out of here."

Once they were hailed by the Republic blockade, Ahsoka transmitted her Jedi codes and waited to be granted landing.

"Do not deviate from your current trajectory," Ahsoka heard a clone say from the other side. Moments later, he spoke again.

"We no longer accept these codes. The Jedi are all traitors. Please leave." _What?!_ Ahsoka thought. She and Ventress shared a concerned look.

"No!" Thankfully, the com wasn't automatically transmitting both ways. Ahsoka opened the channel and said, 

"Sorry, these codes are outdated. The computer must have glitched. Here are the correct ones." 

Somehow, she recalled a Republic-wide code stating that they were bringing supplies to the armies on the planet.

"Ah, I see. My apologies. Please proceed to the surface to provide aid."

They passed the blockade and Ahsoka breathed again.

"Your quick thinking has saved us numerous times, Ahsoka. Thank you. We might have died without it. Or worse, been sent to a Republic prison," Ventress said, seemingly out of nowhere. "Thankfully, our landing area is fairly close to the majority of the fighting so we'll be able to fool the blockade."

Ahsoka nodded. "What did he mean when he said the Jedi were traitors? Is that true?" The words hadn't really sunk in yet.

"No, Ahsoka. You know the Jedi. They would never betray the Republic. Now, come on, I need you to keep watch."

Ahsoka looked up. They had already landed and Ventress was waiting aways down the ramp.

"Coming," she called. Once they had met up, Ventress ordered Ahsoka to hold position.

Ahsoka surveyed her surroundings. She'd been to Felucia a number of times, even led some battle factions there. On the planet, it was mid-afternoon and the sun was about to disappear behind the giant, tree-like mushrooms.

Ahsoka could actually see the Republic base through the bushes, a bit to her left. She closed her eyes and started to meditate, hoping to bring clarity to the lingering darkness she'd been feeling. The Force was usually very bright and happy for her, but now, all she could sense was cruelty, hate, and suffering. Some part of her mind sensed Ventress...in trouble! Ahsoka was just about to call her when the comm beeped. Ahsoka answered and was immediately greeted with the sound of blasters firing and lightsabers deflecting the shots.

"Ahsoka!" Ventress was panting. "Ahsoka, it's the clones. They found me, they're trying to kill me. I'm pinned down, they can't hit me but I can't move either. Please hurry!"

"Ventress, transmit your coordinates, now." Ahsoka's comlink beeped and she started running in the direction it pointed to. "I'm on my way, just hold on."

Once Ahsoka reached her coordinates, she realized that she had entered the Republic base. There was a battle going on, but all Ahsoka could see were blue shots, not red ones. She had assumed there were multiple battles being fought at this base, but apparently everyone was focused on Ventress. Aayla Secura's dead body was on the ground in front of her. She had multiple gunshot wounds in her back and Ahsoka could sense no life from her. She assumed this to be the work of droids. Ahsoka closed her eyes for a second and mourned her before resuming the search for Ventress. Ahsoka followed the sound of gunfire until Ventress' icy blue eyes found hers. She was using a stack of boxes as cover. The clones were advancing on her location and they hadn't seen Ahsoka yet. There were about ten of them and she and Ventress made a mental agreement to each take half.

Ahsoka ran to the person closet to her and kicked his legs out from under him. Before he had fully hit the ground, she kicked him in the face and he stopped fighting. By this time, the clones had seen her. "Jedi!" the commander screamed, "open fire on the traitors!" _What? Traitors?_

Ahsoka had no time to process those words because she was busy using the Force to pull their weapons from their hands. They landed a few meters away. Ahsoka ran up to the next one, grabbed his wrist, turned around, and judo-flipped him onto the floor. He must have hit his head pretty hard because he didn't move again. Two of them were reaching for their guns and one already had theirs back so Ahsoka crouched and rolled behind him. She kicked the backs of his knees, hard, and they buckled. He fell and Ahsoka punched him through his helmet, using it to ensure that her fist wasn't the only thing hitting him. He passed out; Ahsoka moved on.

By this point, there were only two left and both had retrieved their weapons. Tired of inflicting violence directly, Ahsoka used the Force to push one into the other and then knocked them into a different pile of boxes. They didn't get up. Breathing hard, she walked up to Ventress, who had made quick work of her half and left a trail of bodies in her wake. None of them had lightsaber wounds though. Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ahsoka, we have to leave. Now."

"Agreed. More troops will be here soon."

They ran back to _The Sunset_ and Ventress took off as fast as the speed laws would allow. They didn't even bother to answer the hail that came from the Republic blockade. By the time they'd noticed the two bounty hunters were ignoring them, they were already in hyperspace.

Ventress and Ahsoka had been silent since they'd gotten airborne.

"Ventress, what just happened? I thought the clones were on the Jedi's side..."

"Ahsoka...I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I knew there was a plan to kill all the Jedi but I never knew it was this. I never knew it would happen so soon... It seems... The clones had brain implants that forced them to murder their Jedi comrades. Dooku never told me and neither did Sidious." Ventress' eyes were shining with tears.

"You mean...all the Jedi are dead?" Ahsoka exclaimed in disbelief.

"Most likely. Quite a few may have survived, but you would have a better connection to them than me. Reach into the Force, see if you can sense them."

Ahsoka closed her eyes and did as she was told. Master Plo was the first to pop into her mind. She saw from afar how he died: clones shot out the engines of his fighter and he crashed in a big explosion. He was dead. Tears welled up in Ahsoka's eyes but she kept looking, determined to find at least one person alive. Her mind supplied random names she'd heard from Council meetings, and Ahsoka watched them all die. Master Secura was shot while her back was turned. Master Mundi was leading a battle in a snowstorm. He turned around, eyes wide, as the clones drew their guns. 

"No!" he said quietly. He moved his lightsaber to block the shots, and actually managed to take out a few of his attackers, but there were too many, and he was quickly overwhelmed. 

I saw Masters Fisto, Korlan, and Tiin all die by the hand of...someone who used to be Chancellor Palpatine.

Master Windu, however, was having no trouble holding his own against the Sith lord. That is, until a blue lightsaber cut off his right arm. Ahsoka couldn't tell who it was. Sidious used his lightning and sent him tumbling out the window, along with his unique lightsaber. Ahsoka saw similar deaths over and over again, tears spilling out of my eyes.

But Ahsoka didn't lose hope. She saw Master Ti dueling the clones, stealing their ship...and escaping. Ahsoka opened her eyes, tears still flowing freely.

"Who?" Ventress asked, instantly understanding.

"Master Shaak Ti, she oversaw clone production and training."

"Ah, yes, I remember her from the Battle of Camino. She was very formidable. I'm glad she survived. Keep looking, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka closed her eyes and continued the search. She saw Obi-Wan, riding a varactyl on Utapau. The varactyl was shot from afar by an AT-TE cannon, and he and his creature plummeted into the lake at the bottom of the pit. But he wasn't dead, Ahsoka could sense that much. Obi-Wan had been on many missions with her and Ahsoka could sense his presence above the others. He was very much alive.

Ahsoka opened her eyes. "Obi-Wan," she said softly. Ventress visibly relaxed and said, 

"Good. I always liked Kenobi."

Anakin, though... Ahsoka couldn't sense him anymore, but she couldn't see how he died either. It must have happened long before she started looking. Ahsoka bowed her head; the time for mourning was later, after she'd met up with some surviving Jedi.

Ahsoka almost hit herself when she realized that she should have been looking for the someone else, someone very important and very strong. 

_Master Yoda!_ _How could I have forgotten?_

Ahsoka focused on his presence and saw him on Kashyyyk, the wookie homeworld. Master Yoda was sitting on the floor, meditating in one of the treehouse villages that were sprinkled across the planet. His eyes were closed and he was frowning. He must have sensed the thousands who were being killed, like Ahsoka had. A couple of clones were marching over to him when they got a transmission from Darth Sidious.

 _"The Jedi have betrayed the Republic. Execute Order 66."_ His voice made Ahsoka shiver; that amount of evil _shouldn't_ be so prominent in such few words.

 _"Yes, sir,"_ one of the clones answered. They turned their guns on Master Yoda, but he was quick to react and soon, those clones lay dead before him.

A few wookies approached, having heard the sounds of battle. Chewbacca, whom Ahsoka met during her time on Wasakh, was there as well. He and the other wookies helped Master Yoda secure a small ship and he told them he must return to Coruscant, in case others survived. Ahsoka opened her eyes, knowing what she'd witnessed had happened only moments ago.

"Ventress, set a course for Coruscant," she said abruptly.

Ventress complied immediately.


	11. Betrayal

Ahsoka paced anxiously around the cockpit. She knew it wouldn't make them arrive any faster, but it somehow helped her retain her sanity. It didn't take long, but those few hours felt like days. Once they were out of hyperspace, the ship's comm beeped, indicating an emergency transmission code.

"What...?" Ahsoka asked incredulously. She pressed the flashing button to listen to the transmission. It consisted of codes, codes that only Jedi could decipher. Or, in Ahsoka's case, codes that only people who used to be Jedi could decipher. She replayed the message until she'd fully figured it out.

"Ahsoka?" Ventress looked worried. "What is it?"

"It's codes...from the Republic."

"What...what do they say?"

"It's telling all the Jedi to return to the Temple. The war is over."

"Oh no..."

"They're trying to lure them back. The clones will be waiting for us. I have to get there. I have to save them."

"I'll drop you as close as I can."

Ventress hovered _The Sunset_ above a tall building and lowered the ramp for her.  Ahsoka walked down on it before she jumped off and hit the roof of the building. She landed, one of her knees was bent so that her right foot was directly underneath her. Her left leg was stretched out to the side. That position spread out the impact zone so it was absorbed by Ahsoka's whole body instead of just her feet. It was a landing she'd mastered throughout years of jumping off ships.

Ahsoka was right in front of the stairs to the Jedi Temple, the very same stairs she'd walked down such a short time ago. But Anakin wasn't watching her from the top this time. There was smoke coming from the right side of the Temple. Ahsoka  jumped down from the roof and ran up the stairs, taking them three at a time. There were dead bodies scattered everywhere, but they weren't clones; they were Jedi. Some of them had gunshot wounds and others had lightsaber marks across their torsos.

"No," Ahsoka whispered. She had to find survivors, she _had_ to. There was no way they were all dead, Yoda must have found _someone_. Ahsoka ran inside, but froze when she saw about ten clones marching towards her. They hadn't seen Ahsoka yet, but there was nowhere to hide. It was time to face this cruel reality. Ahsoka stepped into the light and her hand trailed on her lightsaber hilts, hanging from her belt.

"Jedi!" the commander yelled. "Kill her!"

Ahsoka ignited her white lightsabers deflected their shots back at them. Soon, they all fell to the ground before her. They were dead, but the sounds of gunfire didn't stop. It looked like Ahsoka wasn't the only one being targeted.

She kept her lightsabers drawn and started sprinting to the courtyard. Yoda and Obi-Wan were there, standing back to back, clones advancing from all sides. And, just as they were about to surrender, Ahsoka used the Force to propel herself next to them. The clones were taken aback by her abrupt arrival, and Ahsoka used the shock to her advantage. Before they realized what was going on, she'd slashed my lightsabers through quite a few of them. Obi-Wan and Yoda followed suit and the three fought together until the last clone fell by Obi-Wan's hand. They were all breathing hard, from both the physical and mental exertion.

Obi-Wan walked towards Ahsoka and enveloped her in a bear hug. "I'm so happy you're alive...I thought we'd all died out." He let go of me and put his hands on my shoulders.

Ahsoka let out a sigh, getting lost in relief for a few moments. "It's good to see you too, Obi-Wan."

She turned to Master Yoda.

"Ahsoka. Glad you survived, I am."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Ahsoka gave him a weak smile.

However, the gloom soon settled in. The ever-present darkness in the Force made us all shudder.

"We need to figure out what happened here," Obi-Wan started.

"When I was coming in, amongst the dead Jedi..." Ahsoka paused, unsure how to phrase her next few words. "A lot of them had lightsaber marks on them as well as gunshot wounds. Who could have done such a thing?"

"A Sith..." Master Yoda trailed off.

"We should check the security recordings. They're probably still in working order. Come on, into the archives."

Yoda and Ahsoka followed Obi-Wan through the paths they'd been on so many times before. Back when there weren't bodies littering the floor.

"Wait." Ahsoka stopped walking. "What about the younglings? Where are they?"

"Hmm...hiding inside the Council Room, they may be," Master Yoda inferred.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan said. He and Ahsoka took off, going as fast as our legs would allow us. Master Yoda was walking quicker than usual as well. Ahsoka knew it was emergency protocol for the younglings to hide in the Council room whenever the Temple was in danger, but whoever had killed them must have known that, too.

The room where there had always been such composure, even in the most violent of times, was an awful sight. The windows were all shattered and blaster marks sprinkled the walls. There were scuff marks on the floor and almost all of the chairs were turned over. It was evidence of the victims trying to escape, and their murderer had refused to let them go. But the worst part was that none of the dead were adults; they were all children.

"No!" Ahsoka yelled, falling to her knees. She could see the lightsaber marks their bodies bore and her eyes burned with tears.

"They must have been hiding here," Obi-Wan said shakily. His eyes were filled with tears as well. If only they could have been saved..."Not even the younglings survived," Obi-Wan said gravely.

"Killed not by clones, this Padawan, but by a lightsaber.

"Who? Who could have done this?" Obi-Wan responded.

They walked back to the archives in silence. There was nothing anyone could say that would make it better. Nothing could change what had happened. But, maybe, maybe they could end this, kill whoever had caused such destruction. Revenge was not the Jedi way, but the Temple was in flames. The Order had fallen. No one had to play by the rules anymore. 

A sad sight met their gaze when the three entered the once-beautiful archives. The records were smashed and nothing was glowing that pale blue anymore. The holocron vault door was wide open and every single one had been smashed to the floor. It was awful, seeing what had once been a prosperous location now destroyed. Madam Jocasta was dead as well, cut down by the same lightsaber as the younglings.

"Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, see this, you must." Yoda was already sitting on a stool in front of a computer, projecting something on a hologram. It surprised Ahsoka how quickly he moved when he wanted to. The image came into focus as Ahsoka and Obi-Wan approached. It was a figure with a lightsaber, cutting down the younglings and every other Jedi in his path. He had long hair and his fighting form was almost perfect in a very familiar way.

"Is that..." Ahsoka trailed off, trying to convince herself it was fake.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan finished in disbelief.


	12. Denial

"No, no, he wouldn't. Anakin is a good person. There's no way he's turned, no way."

"It can't be...It can't be..." Obi-Wan's eyes were glued to the recording. Ahsoka's were as well.

It showed Anakin kneeling before a hooded figure.

"The traitors have been taken care of, Lord Sidious," he said.

"Good...good..." Sidious said. "You have done well, my new apprentice. Do you feel your power growing?"

"Yes, my master," Anakin said, keeping his head bowed.

"Now, Lord Vader, now go and bring peace to the Empire."

"I can't watch anymore," Obi-Wan said, his voice cracking a bit. He turned off the recording.

"I'm going to change the transmitting message... We have to prevent more from meeting our fate." Obi-Wan pressed a button on the keypad and began speaking.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both the Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple; that time has passed and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged - our trust, our faith, our friendships, but we must persevere, and in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always."

It was the message Ahsoka had heard over and over again in dreams. It had been Obi-Wan, in the future, and it was that vision that allow me to trust in the Force, even now. He sounded so calm, not at all like someone who'd just seen their best friend murder hundreds of people.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Ahsoka said. They bowed our heads to remember their fallen comrades.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes until Yoda spoke up.

"Destroy the Sith, we must."

"Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head violently.

"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not."

"He is like my brother...I cannot do it." Ahsoka stared at the ground. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is... Consumed by Darth Vader." _No, no, no, no._

"How could it have come to this?"

"To question, no time there is."

"I do not know where the Emperor has sent him. I don't know where to look."

"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him, you will. Visit the new Emperor, my task is."

"What about you, Ahsoka?" He and Master Yoda looked over at her.

"I... I have to go," Ahsoka said abruptly.

"Where?" Obi-Wan asked as she started to turn away.

"I need to find Anakin. On my own. I'll meet you later. May the Force be with you both."

"May the Force be with you," they echoed.

As Ahsoka quickly departed from her old friends, she called Ventress, who answered quickly and was waiting for her as Ahsoka descended the steps from the Jedi Temple for the last time.

"Ahsoka, what - " she trailed off as Ahsoka pushed past her and into the cockpit. She took them off of Coruscant, not looking back. Ahsoka didn't recall putting in coordinates, but Ventress started shaking her, she realized they were on a hyperspace route.

"Ahsoka!" Ventress said sharply. "What's going on? Did you find any other survivors? What will happen now? And why are we on a course for Mustafar?"

"Mustafar?" Ahsoka asked. Their trajectory showed that they were en route to said planet. "Because that's where Anakin is," she realized.

"Why do we need to see him?"

"Because...he's the one who killed everyone at the Temple. Palpatine has taken over his mind. He has fallen to the dark side."

"What?" she asked loudly, eyes wide.

"In response to your other questions," Ahsoka began, "most of the Jedi have either died or gone into hiding. I did find some survivors at the Temple. Obi-Wan and Master Yoda are going to destroy the Sith now."

"Then what are _we_ doing?"

"Going to see Anakin. I need proof of this. I saw him murder the Jedi on security footage. Even the younglings... But I need to see it for myself. I need to see how far he's gone. Maybe I can bring him back..."

"Okay...well, you probably don't know but Mustafar is where the Separatist leaders meet a lot. So why would he be there?"

Ahsoka's eyes widened.

 _"...bring peace to the Empire,_ " she recalled Sidious' words to Anakin.

"To end the war."

"To negotiate with them?"

"To kill them," Ahsoka said somberly. She stood up. "And that's why we have to get there soon." She walked out of the cockpit and Ventress followed her.

"Care for some meditation?" she offered.

"Sure. Maybe it'll help." 

Ahsoka sat on the floor and crossed her legs, her back to the wall. Ventress sat next to her and put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. Through this touch, they had a stronger connection through the Force. They were both shown what had happened.

Ahsoka saw Anakin step off a ship that was most definitely not _The_ _Twilight_. He walked up the corridor and was greeted by Nute Gunray, who welcomed the Sith into their control center. He used the force to close off all exits off the base before he ignited his lightsaber and cut down the security droids. Gunray and Rune Hako hid under the table as Anakin took care of the droids. Poggle the Lesser, the Geonotion bug, was beheaded at Anakin's hand. The rest of the separatists, whose names Ahsoka couldn't recall ran into the conference room. He followed them, continuing his murderous rampage; he was unstoppable.

Anakin had made his way through the conference room too, leaving many bodies in his wake. He went back to the control room to check for anyone still alive. Soon, Nute Gunray was the only Separatist left, but he couldn't hide from Anakin. He raised his hands in surrender and tried to negotiate.

"The war is over. Lord Sidious promised us peace...we only want -" and he too was dead.

Tears were streaming from Ahsoka's eyes yet again. Watching was awful, but worst of all, as Anakin turned his head, Ahsoka saw that his eyes were not bright and blue as they once were. They were dark, cold, and yellow. Ahsoka couldn't keep watching. She opened her eyes. Ventress was crying too. 

Ahsoka stood. Ventress' hand fell from her shoulder and she began pacing.

"Ahsoka..." Ventress said softly.

"How much longer?"

"Huh?"

"How much longer until we reach Mustafar?"

Ventress stood up as well and walked back into the cockpit.

"We should be coming out of hyperspace within the next few minutes." Ahsoka let out a sigh.

"Ahsoka, are you okay?" Ventress looked at her, concerned.

"No, I'm not," Ahsoka said simply. "But I have to trust in the Force. I have to trust that everything will work out in the end. I have to." At this point, Ahsoka was trying to convince rather than Ventress.

"That's very mature of you, Ahsoka. You've come a long way from that snippy little girl I met on Teth." She nudged Ahsoka's shoulder. Ahsoka gave her a little smile, wishing things were still that simple.

Very soon after this exchange, they were out of hyperspace, the lava-covered Mustafar looming before them.

"There's a platform that will lead us to the...old Separatist base. I'll land us there."

Ahsoka had only been to Mustafar once, with Anakin, to rescue some Force-sensitive children. She never imagined she would set foot on the ashen ground ever again, much less to confront her old master.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ventress asked.

"No. He's too powerful, even for us together. Besides, I don't plan on fighting him."

"Then why are you bringing your lightsabers?"

"... Just in case."

Ahsoka walked inside the control room. Anakin was still there, his back to her.

"Anakin?"

He turned to face her. His eyes met Ahsoka's and the yellow faded back to his usual blue.

"Snips?"


	13. Hope

  
"Hi," Ahsoka said quietly.

"What-what are you doing here? It's not safe for you."

"I came to talk to you."

"Talk to me?" His expression darkened. "You said enough after the trial."

"Anakin, I -" Ahsoka began.

"Leave me alone." He turned away.

"Did you murder all those children at the Temple?" she blurted out.

"I did it so there could be peace!" he yelled. His eyes met Ahsoka's and they were yellow again.

"And the Separatists?" Ahsoka said firmly.

"The war is over! I have brought peace to the Empire."

"Empire?" Ahsoka said in disbelief. "It won't work, Anakin. The peace won't last. Palpatine is using you, how do you not see it?"

"I only wanted to save Padmé. I only wanted peace..."

"Through violence? You're not the person who taught me. Not anymore."

"Go. Leave. I have nothing more to say to you."

Ahsoka's hands drifted over her lightsabers as she said, "No. I'm not leaving you. Not this time."

"Then you will die."

He drew his lightsaber and ran at her.

Ahsoka ignited her own as well and formed an X to block his strike.

"New lightsabers?" he asked with disdain. Their lightsabers were locked together. Ahsoka couldn't break away.

"They took my old ones away." Ahsoka pushed herself upwards from the ground so Anakin stumbled back. She stood up straight.

"Anakin, stop! I don't want to fight you. Please just let me help." Ahsoka sheathed her lightsabers and put them back on her belt.

"You can't. No one can." He was crying. "No one but the Emperor."

"Anakin, Padmé will die if you don't stop this! I've seen it. Joining Sidious is _not_ the answer!"

"LIAR!" He swung at her. Ahsoka ducked and swept her legs around to knock him down. Tears burned in her eyes. She stood over him and put her foot on his chest to hold him down. He didn't fight back.

"Stop it!" Ahsoka cried. His big, blue eyes looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka. You can't help me. You can't bring me back. It's too late."

"Anakin...it's never too late. Come back to us. Please."

He blinked tears out of his eyes too. Ahsoka took her foot off his chest and held out her hand.

"Take my hand. We can help you, just let us in." He reached out to take her hand...

 But before Ahsoka could reach him, his eyes flashed yellow again. She did a back handspring mere seconds before he slashed his lightsaber where she'd been a few moments ago.

"You abandoned me!" He swung at Ahsoka, who dodged, still refusing to fight back. "You abandoned the Jedi Order, the Republic! I hate you!"

"Goodbye, Anakin. I love you." Ahsoka used the Force to push him away from and he fell onto his back. She tapped her comlink.

"Ahsoka, come in," Ventress said from the other end. "Ahsoka?"

"Go."

"Without you?"

"Yes."

Ahsoka saw the ship leave the platform. She needed to buy enough time for Obi-Wan to get here.  Ahsoka knew she couldn't beat him, but she _could_  tire him out for Obi-Wan, maybe instill seeds of doubt into her old master.

"Goodbye, Ahsoka."

"Goodbye, Ventress. May the Force be with you."

Ahsoka turned to face Anakin. The exchange between she and Ventress had only lasted a few seconds. Anakin had gotten up, regained his composure, and was watching for Ahsoka's next move. She bowed her head and drew her lightsabers again.

"So be it, then," Ahsoka said. 

She jumped high and swung her lightsabers at him. He blocked. It broke Ahsoka's heart to be fighting the man who had been like a brother to her. She didn't want to hurt him, so she blocked every hit half-heartedly.

"FIGHT BACK! Fight back you coward!" Anakin yelled.

"No, Anakin. I won't hurt you, ever again," Ahsoka cried.

"Anakin Skywalker is dead! He was weak, so I destroyed him!"

"I know you're in there Anakin." Ahsoka's gaze flickered over to the base control panel. A Naboo ship was entering the atmosphere. "Hopefully Padmé can remind you of that."

His eyes widened and he cocked his head to the side. "What?"

Ahsoka kicked Anakin's left side, forcing him to use the control panel to catch himself.  Once he saw Padmé's ship, he slashed at Ahsoka with his lightsaber and she did another back handspring to get away. By the time Ahsoka was back on her feet, he had run out to meet Padmé's ship. Ahsoka hid in the shadows, close enough to hear Anakin breathing heavily. She guessed it had been a good fight.  The ramp opened up and Padmé walked out.

From what Ahsoka could see, she was very pregnant. "I'm so sorry, Padmé," Ahsoka whispered. She ran into Anakin's arms and spoke.

"Oh, Anakin! "

"It's all right, you're safe now... What are you doing out here?" He let go of his wife.

"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

Anakin's expression darkened. "What things?"

"He said you turned to the dark side... That you _killed_ younglings." She sounded horrified.

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me." _No!_

"He cares about us."

"Us?"

"He knows... He wants to help you." Obi-Wan had stowed away on Padmé's ship, Ahsoka could sense him. It was a smart move, but Anakin would _not_ be happy.

"Is Obi-Wan going to protect you? He can't... He can't help you. He's not strong enough." Ahsoka pinched herself to see if she could wake up from this awful nightmare. It didn't work.

"Anakin, all I want is your love." 

"Love won't save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost? You're a good person, don't do this."

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I've done it for you. To protect you."

"Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can," Padmé pleaded.

"Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore." He was smiling, but it was dark, twisted. "I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be. "

Padmé stepped back in horror.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing... Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't do the same," he said harshly.

"I don't know you anymore." Padmé was inching back towards her ship. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart." Her voice shook and her eyes were filled with tears. "I'll never stop loving you, but you're going down a path I can't follow."

Anakin frowned. "Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done!... What you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back!" Padmé plead desperately. "I love you!"

Obi-Wan came out of hiding to face Anakin. He saw me and nodded, giving me the signal to help Padmé get away as soon as I could.

"Liar!" he yelled, looking at Obi-Wan.

Padmé turned around to see Obi-Wan staring down at them. She whipped back to face Anakin.

"No!" she cried.

"You're with him! You've betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!"

"NO! Anakin. I swear... I..." Padmé's voice trailed off as Anakin force-choked her. Padmé was grabbing at her throat and her feet were lifted off the ground. Ahsoka walked out of her hiding place.

"Let her go, Anakin." Obi-Wan was slowly descending the ramp.

"What have you told her?"

"Let her go!" Obi-Wan and Ahsoka said together. When Anakin turned around and saw her, he was momentarily distracted. Padmé collapsed onto the dirt, and Ahsoka ran to her.

"You turned her against me." Anakin's hatred and anger were now turned towards Obi-Wan.

"You have done that yourself." He was so calm and collected. Ahsoka really admired that about him.

"You will not take her from me." Anakin threw off his cloak, the symbol of an impending fight.

"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that." Obi-Wan shrugged his off as well. "You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now... Until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

They circled each other and Ahsoka checked Padmé's pulse. It was faint, but consistent. She needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. Ahsoka listened to the conversation that followed, keeping a close eye on Padmé.

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, justice, freedom, and security to my new Empire."

" _Your_ new Empire?"

"Don't make me kill you."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic... To _democracy_."

"If you're not with me, you're my enemy."

"Only a Sith lord deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber.

"You will try." Anakin ignited his as well and they commenced their battle.

Ahsoka scooped Padmé up into her arms and brought her back inside her ship. Threepio was waiting for her there.

"Is Mistress Padmé okay?" he asked.

"No, Threepio. Get a doctor." Ahsoka heard him walk further into the ship. Artoo rolled up next to her and beeped his dismay. Ahsoka rubbed his head a bit.

"I know, buddy. We'll have to get through this one without him."

Ahsoka walked back outside, picking up Obi-Wan and Anakin's cloaks. She took Obi-Wan's cloak to give back to him, but took Anakin's for herself. She knew he wouldn't need it anymore. Ahsoka walked back into the ship and dropped the cloaks on the table. Obi-Wan's landed softly but Anakin's made a little noise. Ahsoka's curiosity got the better of her and she reached into the inner pockets. Her hand grasped something dangly, kind of like a bracelet.

It was Ahsoka's Padawan braid. He'd kept it, after all this time. There was still good in him. She hung it on her belt, as a memento of their time together.

Ahsoka sat down next to Padmé, who was still unconscious, and brushed a stray hair away from her face. A medical droid was examining her and Obi-Wan still hadn't come back. Ahsoka knew he could beat Anakin, but it wouldn't be a happy ending for anyone.

"She is nearing her due date, and will go into labor shortly. I suggest we move her to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible. Other than that, she is healthy," the droid concluded.

"We will," Ahsoka said, "when Obi-Wan comes back."

"Yes, ma'am." The droids left her with Padmé. Ahsoka couldn't sleep to pass the time and she wasn't planning on it for at least the next twenty hours. When Padmé, the children, Obi-Wan, and Yoda were safe, then she could rest. So, Ahsoka meditated. The Force was too dark and clouded for her to make much sense of anything, so she focused on being completely aware of her surroundings.

"Ahsoka, let's go." It was Obi-Wan's voice. It didn't startle her. Ahsoka could have sensed his sadness from the other side of the planet.

"Okay, I'll start the engine," she said, opening her eyes and standing up. "Stay with Padmé, please."

"How is she?" Obi-Wan asked as Ahsoka turned away.

"She is...in good health."

"Then why isn't she waking up?"

"I don't know. We need to take her to the hospital, she'll be giving birth soon."

"Ahsoka? Obi-Wan?" Padmé said weakly. Ahsoka rushed to her side.

"Artoo, set a course for Polis Massa," Obi-Wan instructed. With a bleep of agreement, Artoo rolled into the cockpit.

"We're here, Padmé."

"Is Anakin all right?"

The two  just looked at her sadly. She fell unconscious again, hopefully not noticing their lack of response.

"Obi-Wan, what's on Polis Massa? Isn't it just an asteroid?"

"There's a medical facility on it and that's where Master Yoda and Senator Organa are."

Artoo jumped the ship to hyperspace.

"Is Anakin dead?" Ahsoka asked to break the somber silence.

"No. Not by my hand, at least. I cut off his arms and legs and left him for dead as his body caught on fire."

Ahsoka put both of my hands on my sternum and blinked. There were no more tears left her eyes. She'd accepted defeat.

"He's still alive," Ahsoka said. "They have won, this time. We must go into hiding."

"And so we will. I will contact you from time to time, but other than that, none of us will see each other ever again. For our own safety. To protect those around us, we must not draw attention to ourselves. Give yourself another name, another background."

Ahsoka nodded, already coming up with false identities. _Ahsla the mechanic_ , she thought, _or Fulcrum the spy_.  

Artoo landed the ship on Polis Massa and Obi-Wan carried Padmé onto a stretcher that was waiting for them. Master Yoda and Senator Organa were waiting near the entrance to the facility. Padmé was turned over to the medical droids and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka followed Yoda and Senator Organa into the observation room.

A medical droid came out to talk to them. Padmé had been changed into a baggy, white robe.

"Medically, she is completely healthy," the droid said. "For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her."

"She's dying?" Obi-Wan asked. Ahsoka's eyes widened as she realized what this meant for her children.

"We don't know why. She has lost the will to live. We need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies."

"Babies?" Senator Organa exclaimed.

"She's carrying twins," the droid responded nonchalantly.

"Save them, we must. They are our last hope," Yoda said. Before the droid turned away, Ahsoka blurted out,

"Can I be with her? While she's in labor, can I be with her?"

"Yes. But only you. Everyone else will have to wait here." Ahsoka nodded, glancing at Obi-Wan for approval. He nodded as well, and she followed the medical droid into the operating room.

"We will be starting shortly," the droid said as he led her to a chair next to Padmé.

Ahsoka held Padmé's hand as the procedure started. She was awake, and her face was scrunched up in pain.

"Don't give up, Padmé," Ahsoka encouraged. She was breathing heavily and her crying mixed with the cry of the first baby she delivered.

"It's a boy," the droid said.

"Luke..." Padmé was squeezing Ahsoka hand a little tight. She yelled, and with one final push, it was over.

"... And a girl."

"Leia..." Padmé managed a pained smile, tears falling from her eyes. She let go of Ahsoka's hand

"You have twins, Padmé," Ahsoka said, leaning over her. Her breathing had slowed. "They need you... Hang on."

"I can't..." she said softly. She winced and grabbed Ahsoka's hand again. Her other hand was holding onto her necklace.

"Save your energy."

"Ahsoka...there...is good in him..." Ahsoka could sense her life force fading. "I know...there is...still..."

She gasped one last time, and was gone. Her hand, the one that held Ahsoka's so strongly only minutes ago, went limp. Obi-Wan was waiting for her at the doorway. Ahsoka stood up, giving Padmé one last glance. Obi-Wan led her to the conference room, where Senator Organa and Yoda were already waiting. The twins were still in the care of the doctors.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan sat down with them, preparing to say their final goodbyes.

"Pregnant, she must still appear. Hidden, safe, the children must be kept," Master Yoda began.

"We must take them somewhere the Sith will not sense their presence," said Obi-Wan.

"Split up, they should be."

"My wife and I will take the girl. We've always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us," Organa offered.

"And what of the boy?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"To Tatooine. To his family, send him."

"I will take the child and watch over him. Master Yoda, do you think Anakin's twins will be able to defeat Darth Sidious?"

"Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line. Hope, we can... Done, it is. Until the time is right, disappear we will."

Everyone stood, and the senator was first out of the room.

"Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, wait a moment. Training I have, for the two of you."

"But... Master, I am not a Jedi anymore," Ahsoka said, confused.

"This training, for any force wielder, is possible."

"Ahsoka, where will you go into hiding?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Back to my home world. Back to Shili. I will be in solitude, I will put no one in danger," Ahsoka said.

"Meditate, you two must. Alone. Immortality in the Living Force, you will find. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will speak to you, Obi-Wan."

"Who will speak to me?" I asked.

"Know, I do not. Someone from your past, someone you were close to, perhaps. Encountered them on Mortis, you may have."

Ahsoka's mind snapped to the vision of herself in the future and she frowned.

"The Force works in mysterious ways, Ahsoka. Maybe not in the ways you'd expect," Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka nodded. He enveloped her in one last hug. After that, she turned to Master Yoda and bowed.

"May the Force be with you," she said, one last time.

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan echoed. Ahsoka walked out into the corridor, where Senator Organa was motioning for me to enter a small ship to take to Shili.

"The hyperspace rings are in orbit," he said. He started to walk away.

"Thank you. And Bail - " he turned to face her. "When you start planning for a rebellion against the Empire, make sure you count me in."

He smiled and nodded.

"I'll see you again," he said.

Ahsoka stepped inside the ship, which was...her old Jedi fighter. It would run differently without a droid, but she could manage. Ahsoka attached to one of the hyperspace rings and jumped. She held tight to her Padawan braid, remembering all the mischief she and Anakin used to get into.

Ahsoka watched her home plant come into view, and, for the first time since Order 66, she felt a glimmer of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally used direct quotes from RotS but after rereading this chapter, I cringed so hard because that dialogue is just so awful. So I changed it. Guess I'm better at writing than George Lucas. Contact me if you need a writer for the Ahsoka movie @disney


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